(a) Prior Art
The desirability of creating art images on a person's fingernails and toenails is widely recognized and practiced. Known techniques include transfers, decals, appliques and hand painting. Recently, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,277,205; 5,302,224; and 5,316,026 have been granted regarding novel techniques for creating images on nails. Newly developed technology, based on the foregoing patents and the related applications noted above, works well in principle, and has been incorporated into professional models of machines for use by professional nail technicians, including the developed technology where complex multicolor images can be created consistently and repeatably with excellent registration and detail. However, there remains a need to develop an apparatus that embodies the developed technology, but can be made inexpensively so that machines can be manufactured that can be sold to consumers for home use.
(b) Summary of Invention
Therefore, the principal object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for effectively creating nail art on a person's fingernail, and to do so to accomplish the noted purposes. To this end, the invention provides hand-operated apparatus that can be manufactured inexpensively, efficiently and readily, and that will be of rugged construction and will function effectively, smoothly and repeatedly, and will be suitable for sale to consumers for use in the home.
Accordingly, the present invention achieves the principal object of the invention by a method for applying an art image on a person's nail that comprises the step of providing a machine that is molded from the minimum of parts that includes a novel reference and orientation system for establishing a reference point. At one end of the base of the machine a person's finger is positioned in a V-shaped groove with the free end of the digit bearing against an orientation surface with the person's fingernail overlying a second orientation surface located relative to a reference point. At the opposite end of the base of the machine an image composed of an image defining coating material is created using an engraved plate. The created image is created and picked up from the opposite end by a transfer member movably mounted on the supporting base, transferred over the surface of the supporting base to the person's nail at the first end of the base, and deposited onto the person's nail at a position on the nail correlated with the reference point.
In the method the picked up image may be transferred by a linear motion. Also, the depositing of the picked up image may be effected by a linear motion. Further, the transfer of the picked up image may be effected with guiding. The step of creating the image may include the steps of depositing coating material onto the plate and doctoring excess coating material in the creation of the image. The method steps can be repeated a multiple of times with repositioning of the plate between successive times. The method can further include a step of positively stopping the picked up created image in proper orientation to the person's nail during transfer, and the stopping can be adjustable. The method can be carried out to create a multi-color image.
The present invention additionally contemplates a self-hand operated self-contained apparatus for applying an image on a person's nail comprising a base having opposite ends and an upper extending surface defining a first cutout at one end of the base, an element for establishing a reference point, an image creating plate received in said first cutout for creating thereon an image composed of an image defining coating material, a digit positioning member at the other end of the base having a V-shaped groove for receiving and positioning a person's digit relative to the location of the created image, an orientation surface defined by the base against which the free end of the person's digit bears and the person's nail overlies to establish, in cooperation with the V-shaped groove, the appropriate orientation relative to the reference point and a transfer member mounted on said base movable over the upper surface for transferring the created image from the image creating plate to the person's nail.
The apparatus may further be characterized in that the transfer member includes a squeegee for removing excess coating material from an image and a pick up pad for picking up a created image. The apparatus can further include guide elements to guide the transfer member during movement, and the guiding can be linear. In the apparatus the squeegee and the pick up pad may be mounted in common, with the pad mounted for vertical movement. The apparatus may further comprise an adjustable stop serving as the reference point for indexing the pick up pad relative to the person's nail .